Why I Love Hiding Messages in My Artwork
Photo credit: Kyly B Clark
I recently did a little personal digging to figure out why I love hiding messages in my artwork. The answer turns out to be a combination of curiosity, my career in textiles, and one very inspiring book.
At the time, I was reading biographies of business leaders, CEOs, and other fascinating people. I’ve learned so much from biographies, and one book in particular stopped me in my tracks: The Woman Who Smashed Codes by Jason Fagone.
The book tells the story of Elizebeth Smith Friedman, one of America's pioneering female cryptologists. I was fascinated by how much she accomplished and how often the recognition she received focused on everything except her work.
At the same time, I was reflecting on my own career designing textiles at the mill level. I had spent years creating designs that were ultimately produced under other names. Thought that was part of the contract; the struggle to be recognized as a designer and artist while at the mill level was a challenge.
Then I read a line about Elizebeth that gave me a lightbulb moment:
You don't have to be a mathematician or a linguist to break a code. You just have to look for the pattern.
Well, patterns were exactly what I knew. I thought, Why not hide messages in mine? And that's where it all began.
Photo credit: Kyly B Clark
From Patterns to Codes
I created a series of twenty designs featuring the names of female codebreakers from World War I and World War II, with Elizebeth Smith Friedman at the heart of the collection. I also incorporated messages about secrecy and codebreaking, as well as phrases inspired by the era.
I had so much fun with it that I didn't want to stop, and the idea began to find its way into the rest of my artwork.
I love that a piece can stand completely on its own, a beautiful composition of color, shape, and pattern, but underneath all of that, there can be something else waiting to be discovered.
A secret.
Making Invisibility an Advantage
Looking back on my career, I realized I could keep wishing people would look closer, or I could make looking closer part of the experience.
So, I decided to turn that into an advantage.
If my work wasn't always immediately seen for everything it contained, I could make that discovery part of the art itself. What might look like a simple pattern at first could hold another layer, a message, a story, or a little secret waiting to be found.
And honestly, I love the idea that someone might walk past one of my pieces after only a quick glance. Maybe they see the color. Maybe they notice the pattern. Maybe they simply think, That's pretty.
And that's perfectly fine.
Because I know there's more.
In a world where we scroll past images in seconds, I've come to appreciate the idea that my work can reward the person who slows down. When I tell someone, “There's a hidden message in this,” I can almost see the curiosity switch on. Suddenly, they stop. They look again. They want to figure it out.
That moment is one of my favorite parts of being an artist.
The hidden message gives people a reason to look twice.
And sometimes, I won't be there to explain it. That's okay, too. The work can keep its secrets until someone curious enough comes along to discover them.
Maybe that's why I like the idea that I could be the best-kept secret in the room.
You're In on the Secret
If you know my work or have collected one of my pieces, thank you. And more importantly, welcome to the secret. There is always a little more going on than meets the eye.
If you own one of my pieces, I'd love to hear from you. Please reach out and let me know what you have. There may be a few more secrets waiting to be revealed